Sound producer



April 13 1926. 1,580,112

E. P. BONE souu n PRODUCER Filed May 17. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 kl/enforApril 13 1926. 1,580,112

E. P. BONE scum) rnonucsn Filed May 1'7. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 {m FEWPatented Apr. 13,1926.

EVAN P. BONE OF CING INNATI, OHIO.

SOUR D PRODUCER.

Application filed Kay 17,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVAN I. BONE, acitizen of the United States, and aresident of Cincinnati, [in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented new and useful Improvements in Sound Producers, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates tosound producing devices and has for its object,the provision of means for producing music or other sounds of improvedpurity of tone and of any desired quality.

The sounds are produced by electrical means and the qualities of thesounds are governed by the modulations of characters printed in an ink,which is a conductor of electricity, upon a sheet of paper or othersuitable material. -The characters may be in the form of a line ofappreciable width, having wavy edges. The paper is made to move in sucha manner that successive parts of the ink line pass in close proximityto some part of an electrical circuit, changing the electrical capacityof said circuit in accordance with changes in the character of the inkline. The changes in capacity cause a correspondingly changing currentto flow in the circuit, when the circuit is under the influence of asuitable electro-motive force. This changing current, which is similarto the current in a telephone circuit, is transformed into audible soundwaves by a telephone receiver, or the like, connected in the circuit.However, the changing current is preferably amplified by one or morevacuum tubes before it is converted into audible waves. By virtue ofsaid amplification, an ink line of small dimensions on a compact sheetor roll of paper is possible. As no moving mechanical contacts arerequired, pure tones are produced.

In the particular embodiments of my invention selected for illustrationFig. 1 is a plan view of a broken off part of the sheet of paper withthe ink characters.

Fig. 2 is a diagram of a simple circuit for producing sound from theinked paper sheet.

Fig. 3 shows a sound producing circuit with a vacuum tube amplifier.

Fig. 4 shows a vacuum tube sound producing circuit charged by analternating source of electro-motive force.

In Figure 1, the numeral 1 represents a sheet of paper or otherrelatively non-com ducting material and the black area 2 a wide line ofconducting material such as metallic 1922. Serial No. 561,740.

ink, carbon ink, a lead pencil mark or the like. The sheet with itsfigured, line corre' sponds to the wax record of the phonograph or themagnetized steel wire of the telegraphone. It is to be understood,however, that the sheet may not only function'as a record for thereproduction of sound but as a producer of sound. The wavesof the inkline correspond to the sound waves to be produced and any shading in thequality of the tones is accomplished by changing the shape of the inkwaves. Any combination of tones of any pitch and with any combination ofharmonics or overtones with any amplitude can be graphically desi ed.The design can be made photographlcally to reproduce sounds from othermusical instruments, or means may be used to form waves of originalcharacter. The chief purpose of the paper is to carry the wave shapedconducting film of ink.

In the circuit shown in Fig. 2, the battery 3, is connected in thecircuit 10, 5, 4, 4, 4, 6, which circuit also includes the telephonereceiver 7. The paper sheet 1 is shown as viewed from the side showingonly its edge. In producing sound the sheet is wound upon reel 8 fromreel 9. The brush 5 is in contact with the ink portion 2 of the sheet.The battery 3 charges the conductor 6 with a certain quantity ofelectricity and also the ink line adjacent thereto (represented by 10)with a like quantity of electricity of opposite polarity. The quantityof electricity is proportional to the width of the line at 10, becausethe capacity of a condenser is proportional to the area of its plates.Now, as the sheet 1 moves to bring another portion of the ink linehaving, say, a greater width, to the point 10, additional quantities ofelectricity will flow from the battery to 6 and to 10. And as the papermoves, the current of electricity will fluctuate in accordance with thewaves on the moving ink line, which fluctuations of current are formedinto sound waves by the telephone receiver 7. The function of thebattery 3, which may be any suitable source of electro-motive force, isto give the conductors l0 and'6 an initial charge. It is not necessarythat the battery be in the circuit 4, 4, as it may be connected invarious ways to influence the conductors 6 and 10 as desired. It is therelative motion between the wave shaped conductor and the conductor 10which generates the alternating electro-motive force to produce thesound waves.

. waves. It is like,

Inasmuch asit is not necessary for the conductor 6- to come intomechanical contact with the sheet, the sounds are of pure tone. Thebrush 5 neednot have mechanical connection with the sheet but can beplaced near the ink line at the side or part where there are nofluctuations and no changes in influence.

Figure 3 shows a connection with a vacuum tube amplifier 11. Here thegenerator 12 furnishes the e ectro-motive forceto charge the conductors10 and 6. The conductor 6 is connected to the grid 13 of the vacuumtube. The fluctuations in the width of the ink line at 10, of the movingsheet 1, cause a varying electrical influence on conductor 6, which inturn affects the grid 13, thru the conductor 4. Thus, by causing thepotential of the, grid to fluctuate in harmony with the waves on the inkline, an amplified pulsating current is correspondingly created in theplate circuit 14, 14 including the telephone receiver 7.

The term telephone receiver herein is intended in the general sense, todefine an instrument which changes electrical pulsations or alternationsinto audible sound preferably of atype now known as a loud speaker butit might be actuated electrostatically, electro-thermally or the as wellas electro-magnetically.

The vacuum tube amplifier used herein is intended to include the Vacuumtube with its appurtenances such as the battery for heating thefilament, the battery for adjust ing the potential of the plate or gridand various well known coils, condensers and conductors.

The sources of electro-motive force designated at 3 and 12 may be anysuitable form. An alternating current generator may be used whereby thepotential of the grid can be'made more effective by using a transformeror induction coil to step up the voltage as shown in Fig. 4. Thealternating current generator is shown at 15 and the step up transformerat 16. Such alternating current can be made inaudible by using a highfrequency above the range of hearing and the rectifying property of avacuum tube. When alternating current is used to excite the conductors 6and 10, their charges alternate but this fact does not interfere withthe generation of audio frequency pulsations as above described.

Numerous arrangements of circuits will be evident to accomplish theobject and to make several steps of amplification, and I do not confinemy invention to the particular diagrams shown herein.

sheet relative to Having fully described my invention, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A sound producer comprising, a paper sheet upon which are'printedsound. wave characters, of an electrically conducting ink, capacitivelyconnected in a' circuit, said circuit being electrically connected to asource of electro-motive force and to a telephone receiver, and meansfor moving said paper sheet.

2. A sound sheet upon which sound wave characters of an electricallyconducting ink are printed, means for moving said sheet relative to aconductor, to bring successive parts of the conducting wave charactersnear without touching said conductor, means for electri cally chargingsaid conductor and adjacent wave characters, and a telephone receiverelectrically connected to said conductor and wave characters.

3. A sound producer comprising, a sheet of comparatively non-conductingmaterial upon Which sound wave characters composed of a film ofelectrically conducting material producer comprising, a paper aresuperimposed, means for moving said a conductor, to bring successiveparts of the conducting wave characters near without touching saidconductor, a source of electro motive force for charging said conductorsand adjacent wave characters, and a telephone receiver electricallyconnected to said conductor and wave characters.

4;. A sound producer comprising, a paper sheet upon which sound wavecharacters of an electrically conducting ink are printed, means formoving said sheet relative to a conductor, to bring successive parts ofthe wave characters near without touching said conductor, a sourceofelectro-motive force for charging said conductor and adjacent wavecharacters, and a telephone receiver, electrically connected, thru avacuum tube amplifier, t said conductor and conducting ink.

5. A sound producer comprising, a paper sheet upon which sound wavecharacters of an electrically conducting ink are printed, means formoving said sheet relative to a conductor, to bring successive parts ofthe wave characters near without touching said conductor, means forelectrically charging said conductor and adjacent wave characters,

and a vacuum tube amplifier, including said conductor .and conductingink in a" grid circult, and including a telephone receiver in a platecircuit.

EVAN P. BONE.

